Whispers of a Dead Empire

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I could finally rebuild my family with this. This was just the breakthrough that I needed. I clenched my fist and fought back the tears that tried to escape from my eyes. “I don’t know what to say, Paris.”

“I owe your father, Redrick. Even if you and I have a rocky relationship, I will still look out for you. It’s the least I could do after all.” He interlaced his fingers and sat forward in his chair, and his voice took a softer tone. He pointed his eyes in my direction, and I could feel that familiar sense of something looking over my being, which was odd, considering that he was blindfolded.

I let out a sigh and sat back in the chair as I once again tried to bury the flurry of emotions trying to escape from the confines of its prison. “Thank you, Paris. I will do my best to fulfill this mission. However, I have never delved into a domain, especially on a quest like this. What should I do?”

He straightened out and placed his hands on the desk. “Well, Domains are not held to the same standard that dungeons are. They are fierce, intelligent, and while within their domain, the core is a potent foe. Your job will be as follows. Map it out and see if you can discover its motives. Some Domains desire to expand their way through force, while others are more peaceful and don’t interact with the outside world. We wish to know what we are dealing with, so we can prepare accordingly.” He reached into his desk and pulled out a small scroll, and slid it over to me.

“Alright, any advice for how to deal with one?” I asked as I took the scroll and glanced at it. Stamped into the wax was the emblem of the adventure’s guild.

“Keep that safe, for that is the permissions permit getting in. As for your advice, well. It’s simple, treat it like a dungeon and respect it. Otherwise, you might find yourself dead. The heart of the Domain is a living being, and it is brilliant. Which brings me to the next topic of discussion.” He leaned down under his desk, and I could hear a set of keys clang and the click of a lock shifting.

I gripped the scroll and thought about his words. I would keep my team safe, no matter what it took. I’ve gone dungeon diving many times, so hopefully, we will be ready for this. “Redrick, this here is a gift; I was holding onto this until a time like this came.” The room came back into focus, and I saw Paris was holding a small polished blue stone in his hands that had the Tevian symbol of peace etched across its surface. I set the scroll on my lap and took the stone. It was cool to the touch, and a faint hum filled the surrounding air.

“Paris, what is it?” I asked as I rolled the stone around the palm of my hand.

“That is a summoning stone. It’s a one-time use, and it will force the domain core to your location; however, you both will be bound by an oath of peace for the duration.” I stared at the stone with a sense of awe. How much did this even cost? I didn’t even know such a thing existed!

“Paris, I can’t take this. This is far too valuable.” I extended my hand out, intending to pass the stone back to him, and Paris shook his head. The muscles in his jaw clenched for a split second before he spoke again.

“It’s not a gift from me. It’s from your father. He asked me to give it to you when the time came.” He pushed my hand away, and I froze. I clenched the stone tightly like it was my lifeline.

This came from my father? I brought it close to my chest and closed my eyes. I missed him and my entire family. I was the last of the house of Williams and the rightful heir to the Dukedom of Corelia. But it was all taken from me in a single fell swoop. A wrong that I swore with my very life to fix, no matter what it took.

I gazed at the stone for a short time, marveling at its sleek appearance and the power that radiated from it. “Why?” My voice was quiet and seemed alien to my ears.

“I have no clue. He only told me that one day, you would need this stone. Trust me; I was as shocked as you were. The summoning stone is a very rare item that I very well thought of just taking and running away with. But, my honor was worth far more. If you use it at the right time, you may find that your path will become all the clearer.” The old elf sat back in his seat and crossed his arms.

“Paris, I can’t thank you enough for this.”

“No need to thank me. It’s my job to look after you the best I can.” He paused for a moment and glanced to the side. “Ah, it’s time you get going; the domain will open soon, and you have quite the journey ahead of you. Head to the town of Hurst. The domain will be a few kilometers to the east of it. You should see it once you get there.”

I slid the stone into the spot next to my scabbard, where I knew it would be safe, and then gave Paris a deep bow. “Thank you. I will assemble my team and move out by tonight. I will make you and father proud, Paris.”

He gazed at me, and I could feel his eyes traveling across my face from under his blindfold. “I have no doubts, and good luck. You will need it.” I nodded and quickly left the room; I had to gather my party and begin moving out.

I ran my fingers through my short red hair and walked towards the training ground. Two soldiers stood guard by the entrance; above their heads was the number forty, close to where I stood, and both held a simple wooden spear with a red cloth tied near the end. They wore a steel breastplate that was polished to perfection and stood at the position of attention. As I got closer, they eyeballed me, and the one on the right called out, “Halt. What brings you to our training yard visitor?”

I paused and gave him a bow. “Greetings, soldier. I am the Iron Eagle adventure party leader, and I am here to retrieve Sir Gunther.”

They both glanced at each other and nodded, “Very well, you may enter. Do not cause any trouble.” I nodded my head at the quiet threat and walked into the training area. Hundreds of soldiers were here, along with a few adventures. Corinthia had no issue with us being here. We were as valuable as the soldiers, so there was often a lot of cross-training.

I looked around the training grounds. Usually, I could find Gunther in the sand pits or on a training dummy. So it was best to look there first. I walked past a few soldiers who were doing a ruck march and went straight for the sandpit.

A few dozen people surrounded the arena, and the cacophony of cheering shook my eardrum. I pushed through some soldiers and got closer to the ring. There in the dirt stood Gunther. He was shirtless from the waist up, revealing an aged yet muscular body covered in dozens of scars. His salt and pepper hair was cut close to his scalp, and his wiry muscle rippled as he circled his opponent. His body hid his strength well. Compared to many fighters that obviously threw points into strength, Gunther had a more diverse spread but could still hold his own against many of his foes.

This time, his opponent was a younger-looking gentleman I assumed to be a fresh recruit, designated by the combat skirt that hung down to his knees. He held the soldier class more than likely and was working on building some pain resistance, along with some hand-to-hand skills for auxiliary skills. Since that’s how promotions worked in the Corinthian military. The empire’s patron deity gave you a full class reset and had to craft your class from scratch. At the start, everybody was equal, and you defined your place in the Empire through your actions.

Gunther here was held in high regard by many military members because of his past with them. Whenever he wasn’t out with us dungeon diving, he was here, spilling blood and sweat with the rest of the troops. I guess some habits died hard then. I crossed my arms and watched as the two circled each other.

The soldier threw a quick jab that Gunther sidestepped and delivered a quick roundhouse to his sternum, causing the soldier to double over. “You over-extended on the punch. You want to throw a quick jab but not throw your body off balance. Otherwise, you leave yourself open for a counterattack like that.” Gunther straightened up and made a quick motion.

The soldier took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and threw another punch that looked a little cleaner than before. Gunther once again dodged the punch and fired off a kick in return. The soldier quickly righted and shifted his body, dodging it. “Good job, Eric. You learn quick.” Gunther glanced around the sandpit, and his stormy grey eyes met mine. “I’m going to have to cut this training session short. I’ll give you extra time next time I’m back.”

The soldier nodded his head, and crossed his hand over his chest, just above his heart, and gave a quick bow. “Aye, sir.” I guess some habits really die hard. He nodded and quickly made his way across the sandpit.

“Hello, Redrick. You never come to the training grounds. What do you need?” His voice was raspy and quiet, yet it held a tangible sense of power.

“We have a mission—a big one, given by Paris. Please gather the others, and get all your shopping done. Preferable all the vital equipment. Once you are finished, meet me at the stalls. I’ll brief you once we are away from prying ears.” He stiffened and gave me a salute.

“Understood. I’ll see you at the meeting spot.” Gunther cut the conversation short and immediately went to gather the others. I appreciated his hard work, and it was one of the biggest reasons he was my second in command. That and we were lifelong friends. His teachings are also part of the reason that I am a fantastic duelist. I watched him walked away as I slowly created a shopping list of stuff that we needed.

The sun was setting in the far sky, and the birds were returning to their homes to hide away from the predators that roam the sky at night. A few bags sat at my feet, filled with various potions and equipment. I have never gone domain diving before, so I just grabbed as much as I could responsibly buy to make sure that we were safe.

The horse shook its head and let out a loud noise, and I did one last inventory check. The scroll was still in my position, tucked away into my bag of holding. My summoning stone was still in its secret compartment next to my sword. My hand lingered on the compartment a few moments longer before I moved it. I won’t fail you, father; I will avenge your death, no matter what it takes. I glanced across the bags and did a mental tally of everything. I think we were in good shape. Ready to take on whatever that domain could throw at us.

“Redrick, I have gathered everyone!” Gunther’s voice tore me from my thoughts, and I cast a glance in their direction. Gunther had his wooden staff strapped to his back and wore a hardened leather breastplate. He wore tight black clothing that molded to his flesh and had various bits of leather armor that covered weak points on his body and nothing else. I expected nothing less from him.

Next to him stood a tall, lean moon elf. Alinore was our party mage and was a real looker. With full lips and sea-blue eyes offset by soft grey flesh. She could knock almost anyone off of their feet. She wore a silken Mauve-colored robe that clung to her curves and cleavage and hung down to her knees that glittered in the sunlight. Around her slender next was a white laced choker with a half of a lunar stone embedded in the middle. She was a beauty, and if she weren’t soul bound with our ranger, I would make a pass at it.

Speaking of which, Carter stood next to her. He was as tall as she was and had a head of brown hair that was swept back. His bow was in a specially made sheathe attached to his back. His quiver was closed and was positioned flat across his back, towards his left hand. He had a well-defined face and a smug smirk plastered across his face. A small golden necklace hung across his neck, and at the very end was a lunar stone. I have yet to see one as accurate with the bow as he was.

“Aye, welcome! Sorry for the sudden gathering, but we have a mission given to us by Paris.” I explained as I helped each of them up on the wagon. Alinore sat next to Carter, and they interlaced their fingers.

“Yeah, I was wondering what was up with that. Something big, I’m guessing?” Carter has what you could call a very stereotypical suave ranger voice and was a bit full of himself, though for a good reason.

I snapped my finger, and the wagon began moving. “Oh yes. We are going domain diving.”